Lufthansa Proposes New Deal on Pilot Pensions - Lufthansa offers pilots higher pensions to end disruptive strikes
Lufthansa has put forward a new pension proposal to resolve the ongoing pilots' strike. The plan removes early retirement bridge pay but boosts overall pension payments by as much as 50%. Existing funds for the bridge scheme will now go into the company's main pension system.
The airline's offer follows strikes that disrupted flights in recent weeks. Under the new system, pilots will no longer receive separate transitional payments before reaching standard retirement age. Instead, the money previously set aside for these bridge payments will be added to their occupational pensions.
Colleagues already close to qualifying for the early retirement scheme will still receive it. The proposal aims to simplify the pension structure while increasing long-term payouts. Lufthansa has pointed to similar systems at KLM and British Airways, where integrated pensions have replaced separate transitional benefits without extra costs. The company insists this approach is now standard in the industry. While no exact financial impact has been shared, the airline claims the changes are cost-neutral and align with existing models at rival carriers.
The revised pension plan removes early retirement bridge pay but raises overall retirement income for pilots. Those already eligible for transitional benefits will keep them. The proposal now awaits a response from the pilots' union.
